


been waitin too long (i've been waitin)

by Pinkmanite



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: (the Willy/Kappy is brief and isn't the centerpiece but it's there), Character Study, M/M, Reaction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-09-05 13:47:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16811833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pinkmanite/pseuds/Pinkmanite
Summary: He'sgoing home.





	been waitin too long (i've been waitin)

It’s a weird sort of limbo, once he’s sent in his contract scans and hangs up on the conference call with Dubas and Gross. It’s almost anti-climactic, or at least, a delayed climactic? All that build-up, the rush to the deadline, and then silence, even if just for a few minutes.

Maybe he was asking for it.

Willy knew it was going to happen, he was fully aware, but it’s still kind of overwhelming when his phone blows up, to the point the poor thing quits and crashes right there, even without a touch.

He doesn’t have the heart to restart it right away.

It’s an easy choice, laying off the social media for just a little bit. He puts the kettle on, calls in an order at his favorite neighborhood restaurant — traditional Swedish, something he won’t be able to find for a while — and lets himself have a moment.

A week ago he’d been complaining to his parents about how sick he is of the view out his living room window, colorful buildings that loom over the waterways, just starting to go frigid in the cold months. It was a thinly veiled complaint, a translation for _I’m sick of looking at Stockholm when I should be looking out over Toronto_ that no one cared to call him out on.

But Willy takes in the view now, really sits there and takes it in. It’ll be a while until he sees it again, even longer until he sees it like this, in the beginnings of winter, again. Might as well commit this one to memory.

The kettles starts to shout so Willy takes one more good luck out his window and heads off to pour his tea. He’ll probably switch back to coffee when he’s back over, so this is one more thing to savor. One more _last thing_ that he had once resented, not all that long ago.

Once he’s finished off his cup, he turns his phone back on and lets it sit for a minute, only half-hoping that it doesn’t crash again. He’s lucky, or maybe it’s just smart that he let it be, because it comes all at once, neatly summarized in bubbles that claim _iMessage: 136 New Alerts_ or _WhatsApp: 229 New Messages_ or _Snapchat: 43 New Messages_ , short and sweet for him.

It’s a little daunting, but knowing his friends and his family, it’ll mostly be a lot of double texts, a lot of incoherent yelling, and not too many that will need real, personal replies.

But, there’s one iMessage in particular that he’s keen to check. Willy settles on his couch, curls up in his blanket (he’s going to miss this one, he’ll probably have to ask his mom to have it couriered over at some point), and balances his new cup of tea on the arm rest.

He has to scroll a bit until he finds it, buried under more texts from everyone he’s met. It’s nice, but there’s only one thing he wants right now.

####  **🔵** **YUNGBUDS** 🍁🐐💦

 **mitchy:** BRO

 **mitchy:** BRO

 **mitchy:** BRO

 **matts:** dude welcome back omg

 **matts:** use ur words mitchy

 **kappy:** holy shit

 **kappy:** took you long enough u dick

 **mitchy:** 6.9

 **mitchy:** nice **👅**

 **kappy:** the second u get here were all doin fam dinner

 **matts:** yah and ur paying willy

 **mitchy:** i missed u omg

 **matts:** ok ok ok gametime but holy shit congrats man

 **matts:** see u soon **👨👨👦👦**

Willy grins without really knowing, doesn't realize it until he catches himself in the reflection of his phone. It feels like he can finally breathe again, like he’s been carrying a heaviness with him, a dread, along for the past few months. But it feels like it’s finally gone, like he’s finally shucked it off, and if he jumps up, he could probably find himself flying and wouldn’t think anything strange of it.

There’s used to be a tightness in his chest, where it’d pang every time he was reminded of Toronto, reminded of where he should be and where he isn’t. He’d grown used to it, so fucking used to it that he didn’t process that he’d been carrying it with him for so long. Didn’t realize until it was replaced with a different one.

Still a tightness, a clench in his heart, but this one is different. This one is hopeful, buzzingly anxious, ready to be returned. This one is ready to go home and see his friends, his _family_ , again. It’s been nice to have extra time with his sisters, his parents, but it never felt right, never felt anything other than misplaced.

He finishes off his tea, sends off a couple of replies to the people who matter most; his brother, the groupchat, family, mentors, and good friends. Everyone knows that he must be swarmed in messages right now, so everyone’s pretty good about it.

David’s is pretty good, kind of predictable.

 **pasta🍝:** had to go and one up me? lol congrats, ur buying the rice bowls next time!!!

 **pasta🍝:** (also sorry for the quotes, words got bent 😬)

Nicke Backstrom’s is pretty similar, and he replies to that one, too.

 **nicke:** Making more than me now? Dinner’s on you, next time. Gotta make up for all the times I’ve covered your ELC ass **😉**

And there’s some more like that. With all the people he seems to owe dinner to, he’ll be out a year of his shiny new contract in steak alone. But he’ll take it, because that’s something he can say, something he could do, because he _does_ have a contract. Because he’s still going to play this season in the NHL, he’s still going to continue to be a Maple Leaf.

But there's one more important, one that stands out among the others.

 **kappy:** hey i know i said it in the gc but

 **kappy:** im really happy youre coming home

 **kappy:** i missed u so fucking much

Willy spends some extra time replying to that one, typing something out and then deleting it. Re-typing it again until he figures that's as good as it's going to get. He feels like Kappy deserves more, more words, more feelings, more _something_ , but Willy can't do it justice. So instead, he promises to call him when gets a chance, or at least text him over the shitty airplane wifi. He promises they'll talk.

Anyway.

He has time, but he still needs to head to his parents’ place. Just to see his parents and his sisters before he goes, and they’ll probably celebrate for just a little, congratulate him, then immediately bid him good luck and goodbye. It’s strange, to have it all wrapped into one, but it’ll be good to have one last night with his family like this, right before he’s whisked straight back onto NHL ice.

Most of his essentials are already packed, or at least ready to be packed. He already has his list of things he has to bring back and forth, already has his bags out and ready to go, if not already zipped up and locked. But there’s always a little bit left to be done, so he washes off his mug and gets to it.

It’s kind of bittersweet, packing up his stuff. It’s the little things, like his toothbrush and his favorite pair of socks. The things that really seal it in that he’s headed out for the next few months, that he’s officially set to leave his hideout for good.

It doesn’t take long, but by the time he gets done, the food delivery is at his door and he should probably start heading out to his family soon.

The picture of his gear bag is a spur of the moment kind of thing. He likes the impact, likes that it’s short and sweet and very much him. He thinks it’ll get a chuckle out of the guys.

Besides, it’s the only important part, it’s all anyone needs to know.

He’s going home.

**Author's Note:**

> this has been an emotional journey for me, personally, and for tonight, all I have is soft feelings of willy finally!! getting!! to come!!! _home!!! ___
> 
> twitter @[pinkmanite](http://www.twitter.com/pinkmanite/)


End file.
